Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala bowed out of the 2026 Madrid Open women’s singles competition following a straight-sets defeat to Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the Round of 64.

The 19th-seeded Mertens, ranked world No. 21, dispatched the world No. 44 Eala, 6-2, 6-1, in a dominant performance that lasted just over an hour.

Mertens controlled the match early, breaking Eala’s serve multiple times and dictating rallies with consistent baseline play. Eala struggled to find rhythm, committing unforced errors as her Belgian opponent capitalized on key points to close both sets comfortably.

The loss marked Eala’s second defeat to Mertens on the WTA Tour.

The Belgian also prevailed in their first meeting at the 2023 Monastir tournament in Tunisia, where she eliminated the Filipina in the Round of 32.

Despite her early exit in singles, Eala remains in contention in the doubles event.

She is set to compete in the Round of 16 alongside Turkish partner Zeynep Sonmez, keeping her campaign alive in the prestigious clay-court tournament.